


Testing the Waters

by thegreatamster



Category: Big Brother RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-27
Updated: 2015-01-27
Packaged: 2018-03-09 08:15:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3242660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegreatamster/pseuds/thegreatamster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zach and Frankie have never been in a room alone together until now. They test some things out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Testing the Waters

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This is fiction. I do not pretend to know these people at all. RPF has a nice hint of creepiness to it, so please don’t ever link this to any of the real people involved. Or to their relatives or friends or families or managers or dogs. Thanks!
> 
> This was originally posted to tumblr on 10/4/2014.

Frankie is early and Zach is nervous.

It’s been ages since Frankie texted that was in the car and on the way from his Nonna’s and would be there shortly and Zach is not prepared. The house is already very clean since they had prepped last night for the party. Tiger is very clean. Zach is very clean and has put lots of deodorant on. His family is probably also very clean but he can’t be sure because they are currently at Peyton’s school’s carnival. 

Zach is pacing when the doorbell rings. Frankie has clearly beat his parents since his family doesn’t usually ring the doorbell at their own house.

Zach flattens his hair, straightens his hat, and opens the door. 

Frankie’s hair looks even more pink in person. He pulls Frankie toward him and hugs the hell out of Frankie. 

“I’m so glad I had the right house. I wanted to surprise you and not ruin it with a text,” Frankie mumbles into his shoulder and pulls back.

“Oh man. I’ve missed you so much. That was a great hug.”

“I can’t believe I’m here at your house. Where is everyone?”

“They’re not back yet. They had to go to Peyton’s school carnival. You’re early.”

“Ahh,” Frankie says. He puts his hands in his pocket and rocks on his heels. He almost looks awkward. The whole situation reminds Zach of him and his parents picking up Rachel G. for his 8th grade dance. There was like an aura of electricity and he kind of wanted to touch her but he also desperately didn’t want anyone to know that he kind of wanted to touch her and it seems very appropriate because he feels like he’s 13 years old again.

“How was the drive? I know it’s not far, but still.”

“It was fine. I know I told you already but I love your hair. It looks even better in person.” Frankie reaches out and touches above his ear. Zach feels like they’re doing something that isn’t allowed.

“Come on. I’ll give you the tour.”

Zach shows him around the house. They glance at the backyard and decide to venture out to meet Tiger later. It is extremely surreal to see Frankie in his house, in his kitchen, in his hallways. He feels like the house is way too plain to contain Frankie. 

But if everything else feels bizarre, it’s nothing compared to how Frankie looks standing in Zach’s childhood bedroom.

The smile on Frankie’s face is giant and he makes it looks like Zach’s room is the most interesting place he, pop star’s big brother, has ever been. He’s off looking at things before Zach can stop him.

“I love your paddles,” Frankie says while looking at them. Zach walks up behind him and pleas his hands on Frankie’s shoulders. “They also made a big statement in that interview. Really added to your hard core frat boy image. Especially when placed next to the adorable fan art that you have recently hung right next to them.” 

“Yeah, well you make a lot of big statements in interviews too.” Zach’s not even sure what that’s supposed to mean. He’s just trying to think of a come back and sound irritated at Frankie’s dig but it doesn’t have the effect he wants when saying it while he’s rubbing the tension out of Frankie’s neck and smiling.

“I assume you are referring to my declarations of love to you? I warned you about those.” And Frankie did. Zach can still recite the exact texts, the night before soap opera shooting after he called Frankie and ditched the party.

 

_Our first text! I miss you so much!! Enjoy taping tomorrow! I’m so happy for you!_

_And now that I’ve FINALLY got your number I want to tell you, I’ve given a lot of interviews today and yesterday and I’ve got some more coming up. I’ve talked a lot about you. Everything I’ve said is true. I’m in love with you and I’m going to keep saying it until I lose hope. <3 I would prefer to have a private call about it but we’re both too busy for that so I thought I’d give you a warning. Goodnight! I love you!_

 

Zach doesn’t know what to say to that so he just keeps doing what he does best, touch Frankie.

“Do I need to stop?” Frankie asks while he spins around and Zach is surprised to see that he looks serious. Zach was not ready for this talk this quickly. He’s only been here 10 minutes.

“That’s not up to me. They’re your interviews, your feelings.”

“But they do affect you. And I do want to know whether I have a reason to keep my hopes up or whether I’m doomed to end up looking like some creepy predatory gay. We’re alone for the first time to have a chance to discuss it.”

Zach groans. “You’re not creepy and I’m aware we’re alone,” he responds. And Zach really is. It’s felt like there’s some sort of weird electricity between the two of them since the second Frankie walked through the door. “But we’re alone for like 20 minutes before my family gets home and we start setting up for a party tonight.”

“That is true but I feel like you might be using that as an excuse. We have to discuss it sometime. We both know that we care for each other and we both know there was an attraction in the house. What do you feel like your sexuality is? Are you at a 15 percent homosexual level? 30? 75? Certainly not zero with that new hair cut of yours,” Frankie reaches out run his fingers through Zach’s hair. It gives him goosebumps. Zach twirls out of his reach.

“Frankie, I can’t say. I don’t even know if I would like kissing a guy.” Zach doesn’t even believe himself so it’s no surprise when Frankie raises one eyebrow and calls his bluff.

“So then let’s try it. Kiss me and then tell me how it feels, how you feel.”

“You would be willing to do that?”

“Yes, Rose,” Frankie responds dryly. Zach laughs. “What do you think I was trying to do all Summer?”

“Okay.” Frankie’s face slips a bit and Zach can tell that Frankie was not expecting him to agree to it that easily, or maybe at all. He recovers pretty quickly though. He moves a bit farther into Zach’s space.

“Okay then. Let’s do it.”

“Are you gonna tell anyone about this?” Zach cannot believe he just asked that. He sounds like an asshole. Like he’s ashamed of Frankie or something which he is definitely not. Frankie doesn’t look angry though. He still seems extremely calm. Zach’s glad someone is.

“No. This is for me and you only.”

Zach nods and exhales forcefully.

“This is gong to be a real kiss. Not just a peck.” 

“Yeah. I know.” Zach gulps but his mouth still feels dry. He licks his lips. 

Frankie smiles. “Okay.”

It happens fast. Zach doesn’t know why they would wait any longer but it still feels really abrupt when Frankie steps forward and grabs his face. 

Zach is paralyzed for the first second but the first real thought he has is that he is being kissed which sounds dumb but is actually incredibly new. It’s not that he’s not kissing Frankie back. Girls might have initiated kisses before and they always kiss back but Zach had never realized that apparently there’s some weird dichotomy that he’s never noticed because he’s never been the one being kissed before. It’s nice. Really nice. He feels relaxed and relieved because he’s not in charge of this, Frankie is and he feels grounded by Frankie’s hands on his face. Zach knows girls have it rough but maybe they have some luck if they get to do things like be kissed like this.

Frankie’s lips have now moved to his bottom lip and Zach has other things to think about because he likes the kiss. He really likes it. It feels just as good as any other kiss Zach has had except way better. He’s not sure whether he’s more scared of the fact that he likes it or the fact the he really had no doubt that he would.

He realizes he hands are awkwardly dangling by his sides and decides that they definitely need to be touching Frankie. Zach brings his hands up to cradle Frankie’s neck, thumbs resting along his jaw. And Zach likes how defined it feels and he enjoys the texture of the stubble that is there.

Frankie reacts to the touch and “hmmms” into the kiss. The noise stirs up Zach. The next thing he knows, he’s the one kissing Frankie. That weird dichotomy thing again. 

Frankie pulls his lips back abruptly but leaves his hands in place. Zach is kind of irritated. He was busy.

"Yeah?" Frankie asks hopefully and quietly and strokes across Zach’s cheek bone. It tickles a bit. 

Zach’s not really sure what exact question Frankie is asking but he thinks he knows the answer to any of them. 

"Yeah," Zach breaths out. 

Frankie laughs and it throws Zach off because it almost sounds a bit like a sob. Zach doesn’t even realize Frankie is pushing him until his back hits the wall. 

If Zach thought he was being kissed before, he was wrong. Frankie’s fully pressed against him and just, kissing him. He’s trying to go along for the ride but he feels like he’s faltering. He can’t register anything and most of it feels like an out of body experience. His hands are clinging to the back of Frankie’s shirt but he doesn’t remember putting them there. His tongue is more in Frankie’s mouth than his own and he certainly doesn’t remember putting that there. His whole body feels like it’s on fire and his heart does too, or maybe more like it had been on fire recently and is now smoldering very warmly. 

DING DING DING

He and Frankie rip their mouths apart and both look towards Zach’s pocket where his phone is finishing vibrating. 

Zach knows he needs to get it. He sighs and untangles himself from Frankie. He pulls his phone out and realizes he’s breathless. He’s pretty lazy but he doesn’t think the effort of grabbing his phone winded him.

“It’s Peyton on mom’s phone. He says they’re on their way and he can’t wait to meet you. We should probably go out to the living room. It’s only like a 10 minute drive.”

Zach feels weird and antsy now and he’s not sure if it’s because he touched and kissed Frankie like that or because he’s no longer touching and kissing Frankie like that.

Zach tries to rush past Frankie and lead him to the living room but Frankie grabs his forearm and stops him.

"Hey? Are you okay?" Frankie begins stroking his arm with his thumb.

“Yeah,” Zach replies and it sounds strained even to his own ears. “Yeah,” he tries again as if a second time might seem more persuasive. It’s not. “Totally. I’m fine.”

"You might need to sit down and take a break,” Frankie says and smiles a bit. 

"Why?"

He sputters a bit and pulls an interesting face. “You look incredibly flustered. And also very thoroughly kissed.”

Zach glances at Frankie’s reddened lips and glances downward. He can see where Frankie’s shirt has tried to become untucked and imagines what he himself looks like. He smooths down his hair and his shirt. 

When he returns his gaze to Frankie’s face there’s an even larger smirk. 

“You look good.” He rubs Zach arm some more. “Really good actually, but just flustered. I’m actually kind of concerned for your blood pressure” 

He grabs Zach by both biceps. “Deep breaths,” Frankie recites while he starts breathing, trying to get Zach to mimic. He’s looking directly into Zach’s eyes and their faces are fairly close. It’s not exactly helping him relax. 

"I-" no. "Are we-" nope. "They-" ugh "Us, we-" still no. Zach sighs and gives up on words and motions between their bodies while making a weird stammering noise. He’s getting dumber by the second. 

"Shh shh shh. Deep breaths. Calm down. We’ll have plenty of time to talk. We’re not gonna tell them anything you don’t want to right now. Calm down. I know it’s not that simple.”

"Okay." Zach lets out a big sigh. He’s so relieved but he can’t help feeling a bit like an asshole. Because it should be that easy. He likes Frankie. He likes touching Frankie. He’s Zach’s favorite person. Zach is pretty sure he’s primarily straight but him and Frankie both know that there’s no way he’s at 100 percent based on those kisses. It should be easier. Zach should be better at this. 

”Yeah. Thanks. Let’s-” Zach motions out the door and Frankie grabs his hand and follows him, which is reassurance enough for now.


End file.
